Farmers hit hard by lack of demand for cassavas

Farmers harvest cassava in the central Quang Tri Province. Cassava growers in the central province of Quang Tri are despairing over low demand for their products amid their harvest season. — Photo vov.vn

QUANG TRI (VNS) — Cassava growers in the central province of Quang Tri are despairing over low demand for their products amid their harvest season.

Cassava is the main income for farmers in Dakrong and Huong Hoa districts, but many of them have not sold their products due to the slow purchasing of the local plant, Huong Hoa Cassava Processing Plant.

Ho Van Thang, deputy chairman of the People's Committee of Dakrong district's An Doi commune, said the total area of the commune's cassava cultivation is 520ha, with estimated output of over 20,000 tonnes, but to date, the farmers here sold only half of it.

Ho Thi Lieng, a local farmer, said her family has 1,800sq.m of cassavas for harvest, but she sold only two-fifths of harvested products.

She said farmers will harvest their products if they receive purchasing appointments from processing plants.

For the last several months, her family and local residents have lined up at the factory to try to sell cassava, but they are still waiting their turn.

The growers have mostly depended on the plant's producing plan, Thang said.

At the harvest time of every year, the farmers basically complete their harvest and sell all of their products for the plant. But this year, the plant's slow purchasing has seriously affected the farmers' lives, he said.

The farmers are also worried that slow purchasing will have serious consequences for the quality of the products.

Thousands of tonnes of cassava of local farmers remain unsold but the plant's priority is still given to traders, said Thang.

He added that the slow harvesting of this year also affects the next crop of cassava growers.

Le Van The, the plant's director explained that the plant can not buy all the products at the same time because its capacity is only a bit more than 700 tonnes a day.

The plant has to make a purchasing schedule to help farmers during harvest, he said.

He added that the plant also has a plan to raise its capacity to 900 tonnes per day and it will help to partly tackle the current situation.

The plant has committed to purchase all products but cassava growers' worries remain in each harvest season.

Development of material areas for production and seeking an output for farmers' products still need more care from the provincial authorities, Thang said. — VNS